READ IT! - Introduction to Joshua 10-16

Readings for this week

Monday: Joshua 10
Tuesday: Joshua 11
Wednesday: Joshua 12
Thursday: Joshua 13
Friday: Joshua 14
Saturday: Joshua 15
Sunday: Joshua 16

Introduction to Joshua 10-16

Chapter 10

King Adoni-Zedek of Jerusalem forms a coalition of kings from Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon and attacks Gibeon because of their treaty with Joshua. Israel comes to the aid of the Gibeonites, marching all night from Gilgal. The text says that Yahweh fights for Israel by throwing the armies into “confusion,” and by pounding them with large hailstones. Joshua also prayed for the sun and the moon to stand still, and the text says that God caused the sun to stand still for half a day.

The kings of the coalition hid in a cave from Israel, but Joshua captured them, impaled them on poles, and then buried them. The text also says that on that same day, Joshua and the Israelites conquered several other southern cities and completely destroyed them:

Makkedah
Libnah
Lachish… along with Horam king of Gezer who had come up to help Lachish.
Eglon
Hebron
Debir

The text says that “All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.”

Chapter 11

King Jabin of Hazor called together all of the northern kings to fight against Israel:

Madon
Shimron
Akshaph
The northern kings who were in the mountains
The kings in the Arabah south of Kinnereth
The kings in the western foothills
The kings in Naphoth Dor
The Canaanites in the east and west
Amorites
Hittites
Perizzites
Jebusites
Hivites

And the text says that “They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots—a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore.” But the text says that Israel came upon them and destroyed them, chasing them all over the land until they were killed. The text says that Joshua himself burned the city of Hazor, but that they did not burn any of the other cities.

Verse 18 says that Joshua waged war against all of these people for a long time... which seems to be a different perspective than what we just read. The text also says that the LORD hardened the hearts of these people so that they would go to war against Israel and be destroyed “without mercy.”

Chapter 12

We then read that Joshua gave the conquered land to the tribes of Israel and “the land had rest from war.”

The Book of Judges has a very different take on the conquest of the land, saying that many of the cities that were on the list of conquered cities in Joshua weren't actually conquered... this could also possibly explain why little to no detail is given on the battles that would have taken place to conquer them. As already mentioned, some passages of Joshua seem to agree more with Judges when they say that it actually took a really long time to conquer much of the land.

Chapter 13

Now Joshua was old. The LORD said, "Divide the remaining land among the tribes." Moses had previously given land to Reuben, Gad and Manasseh.

Chapter 14

The tribe of Judah came to Joshua, and Caleb said, "Moses promised me the mountain because I obeyed the LORD fully." So Joshua gave Hebron to Caleb.

Chapter 15

Judah's land bordered with Edom to the south. Caleb took Hebron, and Othniel (Caleb's son) took Kiriath-Sepher, but Judah could not defeat Jerusalem.

Chapter 16

Joseph's land was from the Jordan River to the sea. Ephraim's territory was within Manasseh's. Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites.

READ IT! - Introduction to Joshua 3-9

Readings for this week

Monday: Joshua 3
Tuesday: Joshua 4
Wednesday: Joshua 5
Thursday: Joshua 6
Friday: Joshua 7
Saturday: Joshua 8
Sunday: Joshua 9

Introduction to Joshua 3-9

Chapters 3-4

In chapters 3–4 we see Israel crossing the Jordan. Like at the red sea, Israel faces another water obstacle, the Jordan River. The text says that at this time the river was at flood stage.

Instructions are given to the people to follow the Ark. And a Command is given for people to “sanctify” themselves.

The Details of the crossing are as follows:

The priests carried the Ark and stepped into the Jordan River.

The river immediately stopped flowing.

The priests stood with the ark in the middle of the Jordan and waited for the nation to cross.

After everyone crossed, the priests came up and the water returned to normal.

The people were also instructed to take twelve stones from the river bed and set them up as a memorial.

The role of the Ark is significant in the book of Joshua. It is mentioned 16 times, 9 of those times in chapter 3, and 7 times in chapter 4. The Ark was understood to be the responsibility of the Kohathites according to Numbers 3:31

The reference to “dry land” during the crossing seems to draw a direct connection between Exodus 14:21-22 in the crossing of the Red Sea, and Joshua 4:18 and 22 in the crossing of the Jordan River. These two passages seem to parallel each other.

Chapter 5

In chapter five, Joshua is portrayed as the faithful leader in regards to commanding the men to undergo circumcision. No one had been circumcised since Israel left Egypt. And the place where this mass-event took place was called “Gibeath Haaraloth” …which means “hill of foreskins.”

Joshua also commands that Passover be celebrated. The text says that the people ate the food of the land that day, and also that this was the same day that God stopped sending manna from heaven.

Joshua also has theophany experience here. A man with the sword appears to Joshua with a message from God. He identifies himself as neither a friend nor an enemy, but as "The Commander of the Army of The LORD." God commands Joshua to remove his sandals, just like the beginning of Moses’ ministry

And Joshua is given instructions:

Have the army march around Jericho once a day for six days in silence.

On the seventh day march around the city seven times while the priests blow trumpets.

Have all the people shout, and the walls will collapse, and you will go in and destroy the place.

Chapter 6

Chapter six carries out these events …with the military plan for the Jericho conquest resembling a cultic event more than anything else. Emphasis is placed on the faithful implementation of God’s commands. And Yahweh is seen as the one who fights for Israel.

There’s only a simple note about the battle details, saying, “They took it…they destroyed it…”

But we also get to see the function of something known as “kherem” at this point, which means to “devote to destruction.” This term occurs 80 times in the Old Testament, with 27 of those times occurring in Joshua. 25 of those 27 times occur in Joshua chs. 6–11. Second runner up is Deuteronomy where the word only occurs 10 times.

Chapter 7-8

In chapters 7–8, we hear about how Achan, one of the Israelites, took some of the “devoted things” for himself from the plunder of the city. Meanwhile The people claim, “We don’t need the whole army…” to conquer the city of Ai… which seems to border on cockiness… But When Israel attacked the city of Ai, they were defeated.

Joshua laments, and he weeps in front of the Ark, and cries, “Why have you let this happen?” But God tells him to stop making noise, because the covenant has been broken. All Israel is incriminated.

They use lots to determine the guilty party. Judah is singled out from Israel. The Zerahites are singled out from Judah. Zimri’s descendants are singled out from the Zerahites. And Achan is singled out from the descendants of Zimri.

Achan first confesses his sin and then explains why he did it. And then everything associated with Achan is destroyed. They were stoned, and then they were burned. And the people piled rocks on top of what was left of Achan’s estate.

And they named the place Achor, which means “trouble.” It is a pun on Achan’s name because he was a “trouble-maker.” However, this word has a different connotation in Hosea, when God says of his sinful people… “I will speak tenderly to her…and make Achor a door of hope.”

Unlike Jericho, the second attack on Ai includes an elaborate military strategy. Joshua sends 30,000 of his best men out at night to hide on the other side of Ai. Joshua then leads the other men in a frontal attack. Everyone from Ai comes out and fights against Joshua, and Joshua has his men flee from them. God then tells Joshua to hold out his sword in the direction of Ai so that the city will be taken. Meanwhile, the 30,000 men come up from behind Ai and set fire to the city. And the people of Ai panic… and are captured.

And Joshua destroys the city and its people. The name “Ai” means “the ruin” and this is the story the Israelites told to explain how a once great and powerful city came to become “Ai.”

The people hung the king of Ai on a pole. But Joshua took the king’s body down at sunset in keeping with the law of Deuteronomy.

And unlike the story of Jericho, this time God allows Israel to keep the spoil and livestock for themselves.

Later, Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal. Joshua prepared a burnt offering and a fellowship offering. Joshua made a copy of the Law of Moses on stone tablets. He had half of the tribes stand on Mount Ebal and the other half stand on Mount Gerizim. Joshua read the entire Law to the people. He read the blessings and curses of the covenant. Everybody listened, both native-born Israelites and the foreigners who lived with them.

Chapter 9

Two different responses of the people of Canaan are portrayed: resistance or acceptance. The Gibeonites choose path of non-resistance and are spared through a ruse. The Gibeonites feared Israel, so they dressed themselves up in rags and packed their bags with moldy bread and wandered into the Israelite camp. They claimed they had come from far away and wanted to make a peace treaty with Israel. Joshua felt sorry for them and agreed without consulting God. They made a covenant of peace, but soon after Joshua found out that these people had not come from far away, nor were they poor. The text says that this covenant is the reason why the Gibeonites live among the Israelites “to this day.”

However, this covenant was of unequal status. Israel could not kill these people because of their covenant, so they made them into their own personal “wood-cutters” and “water-carriers.”

READ IT! - Introduction to Joshua 1-2

Introduction to Joshua 1-2

The Deuteronomistic History

The Deuteronomistic History is made up of:

Joshua

Judges

1st Samuel

2nd Samuel

1st Kings

2nd Kings

The Deuteronomistic History is a collection of many different stories written by many different people. These stories cover events in Israel’s history between the time of their entry into Canaan to their exile to Babylon. These many stories were compiled by an historian (redactor) who put them into one work. This historian is known as the “Deuteronomistic Historian” because he arranged all of these stories with connections he made with the book of Deuteronomy.

Themes

Leadership

Joshua holds many diverse tribes together in unity his entire life

The name “Joshua” means “Yahweh is Salvation.”

Israel was more faithful to him than they were to Moses

Joshua was a better leader than most of Israel’s future kings

The Land

The land is understood as Israel’s inheritance

The land is frequently described as a rich and good land

God ultimately decides which tribe gets what land

God is faithful to Israel and gives Israel land

Israel is not always faithful to God and does not get all the land they wanted

The Divine Warrior

The text says that God himself fought for Israel

The victory of “The Divine Warrior” is inevitable and complete, as seen when God destroys seven pagan nations

Everything conquered by God is devoted to God

Comparing Joshua and Moses

Send Spies into the Land (Num. 13:1-3; Josh. 2:1)

Led Israelites Across Body of Water (Ex. 14-15; Josh. 3-4)

Theophany Experience (Ex 3:1-6; Josh 5:13-15)

Role of Intercessor (Ex 32:11-12; Josh. 7:7-10)

Lifting Sword/Staff in Battle (Ex 17:10-13; Josh 8:18, 26)

Conquerors of Territory (Num. 21; Josh. 1-12)

Farewell Addresses (Deut. 4-30; Josh. 23-24)

Comparing Joshua and Judges

Joshua should not be read on its own, but in the context of the surrounding books.

The Book of Judges has a very different take on the conquest of the land, saying that many of the cities that were on the list of conquered cities in Joshua weren't actually conquered... this could also possibly explain why little to no detail is given on the battles that would have taken place to conquer them. Some passages of Joshua also seem to agree more with Judges when they say that it actually took a really long time to conquer much of the land.

Elsewhere in the Bible also seems to lean more towards a Book of Judges version of the entering of the Israelites into Canaan...

“They did not destroy the peoples

    as the LORD had commanded them,

but they mingled with the nations

    and adopted their customs.”

-- Psalm 106:34

The two versions of history in Joshua and Judges exist to balance each other out. Joshua represents Israel’s complete success. Judges represents Israel’s complete failure. The truth emerges when the two histories are told together.

Chapter 1

In Joshua chapter one, land is given to the Israelites. We see God’s role when he says, “I will give you this land.” But we also see Joshua’s responsibility when God tells him “You will lead these people” and “Be strong and courageous.” Ironically, there is a strong lack of military language and strategy throughout the book of Joshua.

First, directions are given to the Transjordan tribes. Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh are to help their fellow Israelites conquer the land west of the Jordan River.

Then we also see a transfer of leadership take place, with Joshua seen as the legitimate successor of Moses. God says, “As I was with Moses so I will be with you.” And the people say, “Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses.”

Chapter 2

In chapter two, we have the story of Rahab and the spies. Joshua sends spies from Shittim. And he told them to look over the land, especially Jericho. But the Spies go to Rahab’s house…who is…a prostitute?

Here, there’s a possible connection to Num. 25:1-3, which says “while Israel was at Shittim, the men committed harlotry with Moabite women.”

However, Rahab is seen as a heroine and a Savior figure:

Rahab hid the spies when the king’s guards came looking for them

She let the spies down the wall with a rope

She told the spies to hide in the hills for three days

She also gives a Confessional statement, saying:

“I know that the LORD has given you this land…”

“The LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.”

“Spare the lives of my family.”

The spies told her to let down a red cord from her window as a sign of protection.

Rahab is remembered in both Jewish and Christian tradition.

Hebrews 11:31 says:

“By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.”

In Matthew 1:5, Rahab is listed in the genealogy of Jesus.

And Jesus’ brother James wrote:

“You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?”

According to the Talmud, there was a rumor among the rabbis that Rahab married Joshua and became the ancestor of eight prophets.

READ IT! - Introduction to Mark 12-16

Readings for this week

Monday: Mark 12

Tuesday: Mark 13

Wednesday: Mark 14

Thursday: Mark 15

Friday: Mark 16

Saturday: Joshua 1

Sunday: Joshua 2

Introduction to Mark 12-16

Chapter 12

Jesus tells the Parable of the Tenants, and is questioned about paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar, and about marriage at the Resurrection.

While Jesus was debating with the Sadducees a scribe was impressed and asked Jesus a question: What is the most important commandment?

Jesus recites the Shema in response, saying, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

He then adds that the second is to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

The scribe strongly agrees with Jesus on this, and Jesus tells him that he is not far from the Kingdom of God.

Jesus teaches about the Messiah and warns against the Teachers of the Law.

Jesus was at the Temple and sat across from the offering place and watched people come and give offerings. He saw many rich people come and put in bunches of money, but then he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And Jesus tells his disciples that she gave more than the others because she gave everything she had.

Chapter 13

The disciples were impressed with the large stones used to build the Temple, so Jesus began to tell them about the future and how all these stones would be toppled over.

He began to tell them about the terrible days that would come in the future, and the signs that would appear in the sky, and the false messiahs who would come, and how one day he himself – the Son of Man – would appear in the clouds in power and glory to gather up his children from the earth.

But then he added no one knows when this is all going to take place – no one – not the angels, not even Jesus himself – only God the Father knows. It will be a surprise, so be prepared!

He adds:

“It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.”

Chapter 14

Jesus is anointed by a woman at Bethany.

After Jesus shared his last Passover Meal with his disciples, they sang a hymn and went to the Mount of Olives. Jesus predicts that all of the disciples will fall away from him, reciting, “Strike the shepherd, scatter the sheep.” But he promises that after he rises he will go to Galilee and meet them there. Peter then declares his loyalty to Jesus saying he would never fall away. Jesus says to him that Peter will disown him three times that very night. But Peter insists he’s willing to die for Jesus, and all the others say the same thing.

Jesus took his disciples to a place called Gethsemane and had them sit and pray while he took Peter, James, and John along with him.

“The word gethsemane means ‘olive press’ and symbolizes the weight that Jesus carried as He went to the cross. The gethsemane was symbolic of a human burden in Christ’s time, too, but it was on the shoulders of the Jewish people.

The gethsemane was an economic leash, tying the lower classes of society to the purse strings of the wealthy who owned the olive presses. The masses looked to the promised Messiah, who would come from the ‘stump’ - understood to be an olive tree - of Jesse, to release them from their burdens.”

Jesus became deathly terrified at this point and told them to stay and keep watch. Jesus went off a bit further by himself and began to cry out to God to take away this cup of wrath… but also for God’s will to be done.

Jesus came back to his disciples and found them asleep, so he said to Peter, “You’re asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Jesus went to pray again and when he came back later he found them sleeping again and they didn’t know what to say to him.

This happened a third time and Jesus exclaimed, “Are you still taking a nap? Enough already! The hour has come! Look! The Son of Man is being handed over to sinners! Get up! Let’s go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Just then Judas showed up with an armed crowd of thugs from the chief priests and Torah-teachers. Judas came over and kissed Jesus, which was his signal to the crowd to come arrest that man. The men seized Jesus, and one of the disciples panicked, grabbed a sword and cut off the ear of one of the servants of the high priest.

Jesus then points out the irony of the teachers of the “light” sneaking around in darkness.

Then everyone with Jesus ran away and hid, including an unnamed young man (possibly Mark himself) who’s in such a hurry he leaves his clothes behind.

Jesus is then taken before the Sanhedrin, and Peter disowns him three times. 

Chapter 15

Very early in the morning, the Sanhedrin decided to drag Jesus over to the Roman Governor Pilate for a decision on what to do with him. Pilate asks, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus says, “You say so.” The priests started accusing Jesus of all kinds of stuff, but Jesus didn’t say anything, so Pilate was like, “Aren’t you going to say something in your own defense?” But Jesus still said nothing and Pilate was amazed at him.

At this point the narrator informs us that it was traditional for a prisoner to be released once a year at the request of the people. He also tells us that there was at this time a known terrorist and murderer locked up in prison named Barabbas. The crowd chose this opportunity to ask Pilate for the traditional release of a prisoner. Pilate was like, “Uhh… okay. Do you want this ‘King of the Jews’ back?” But the crowd had turned against Jesus, and they were like, “No! Give us the terrorist! Set Barabbas free!” Pilate thought this was kind of stupid, so he was like, “What should I do with this ‘King of the Jews’ then?” The crowd shouted, “Crucify him!” Pilate was dumbfounded, and asked, “Why? What crime has he committed?” But the crowd kept screaming “Crucify!” so Pilate gave in to them. He released Barabbas, and had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified.

Jesus is brought to the Praetorium and surrounded by the company of soldiers. Jesus is given a purple robe and a crown of thorns and is beaten with a scepter. The soldiers chant “Hail, King of the Jews!” and pay homage to him. Jesus is taken in procession out to the streets, where Simon the Cyrene follows along with him, carrying the instrument of execution.

They took Jesus to a hill called Golgotha. They offered him wine mixed with Myrrh, which he refused. Immediately after this refusal, they crucified him. He is placed on the cross at 9:00am, at the exact time of the daily morning sacrifice at the Temple. He dies at exactly 3:00pm, at the exact time of the daily afternoon sacrifice at the Temple. And the curtain in the Temple was suddenly torn in two from top to bottom at this very moment – no more separation from God. When a Roman soldier saw the way Jesus dies and everything that had happened he declared, “Surely this man was the son of God!”

Jesus was dead and the Sabbath would begin at sunset, so a man named Joseph who was from Arimathea went to Pilate and demanded Jesus’ body. Joseph was a member of the Jewish council who believed in Jesus and did not take part in their plot against him. Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the centurion as witness and the centurion confirmed Jesus’ death. Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb while Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph watched.

Chapter 16

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?" We learn from Matthew’s Gospel that they weren’t concerned about moving the stone because it was too heavy for them, but because it had Pilate’s seal on it. But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.

As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were afraid. The young man in white said:

“Don’t be afraid! You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. Look! You can see where they laid him! But go! Tell his disciples, especially Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. And you will see him there, just like he told you.”

Shaking from fear and confused, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

Later Additions

Mark originally ended with them being afraid and not telling anyone anything. This was perhaps his way of saying that the story of Jesus wasn’t over yet, and it was up to the reader to decide whether or not they would put their faith in the resurrection. However, later members of the church apparently thought Mark’s gospel was a bit too open-ended and needed more closure, so they added to it details taken from the other three canonical gospels to help clean up Mark’s rather abrupt and confusing ending. They came up with both a short ending and a longer ending for Mark.

The short version sums things up this way:

“Then they quickly reported all these instructions to those around Peter. After this, Jesus himself also sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. Amen.”

The longer version takes details from the other gospels and Acts:

From Matthew and John:

The book describes Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene, who is now described as someone whom Jesus healed from possession by seven demons. She then tells the other disciples what she saw, but no one believes her.

From Luke:

Then Jesus appears "in a different form" to two unnamed disciples. They, too, are disbelieved when they tell what they saw.

From Matthew, Luke, and John:

Jesus then appears at dinner to all the remaining eleven Apostles. He rebukes them for not believing the earlier reports of his resurrection and gives them instructions to go and preach his message to all creation. Those who believe and are baptized will be saved, but unbelievers will be condemned.

From Acts:

In verses 17-18, Jesus states that believers will "speak in new tongues." They will also be able to handle snakes, be immune from any poison they might happen to drink, and will be able to heal the sick.

From Luke and Acts:

According to verse 19, Jesus then is taken up into heaven where, Mark claims, he sits at the right hand of God. The right hand is seen as the position of power. After the ascension, his eleven disciples then went out and preached "everywhere," and several signs from God accompanied their preaching.

READ IT! - Introduction to Mark 5-11

Readings for this week

Monday: Mark 5

Tuesday: Mark 6

Wednesday: Mark 7

Thursday: Mark 8

Friday: Mark 9

Saturday: Mark 10

Sunday: Mark 11

Introduction to Mark 5-11

Chapter 5

Jesus and his disciples cross the Lake and arrive in the region of the Gerasenes. The text says that when Jesus got out of the boat, a man with a demon came running out of the tombs towards him. Jesus commands the demon to come out of the man who identifies himself as “Legion” – a host of demons. He begs over and over for Jesus not to send them out of the area. The demons request to be relocated to a nearby heard of pigs. Jesus gives them permission, and the pigs go crazy, and the whole heard jumps off a cliff and drowns in the Lake.

The Lake was also referred to as “the pit” by the people who lived near it, and they believed it was where Satan himself lived in chaos and darkness. So when the pigs jump into the Lake, the text is implying that even these “unclean animals” understood that these “unclean spirits” belonged in hell.

The man is restored to his right mind, and puts on some clothes. The pig farmers are afraid of Jesus, and beg him to leave the area. The people now act as the demons, begging for Jesus to leave them alone. The man now healed begs to go with Jesus, but Jesus tells him he should go home and tell his people just how much Jesus had done for him... which is quite the opposite command of the Messianic Secret that we normally see from Jesus when he's among his fellow Jews. The man begins to preach in The Decapolis (The Ten Cities) about Jesus.

Jesus crosses the Lake again and the crowds are waiting for him. A man named Jairus, a synagogue leader begs Jesus to come heal his sick twelve year old daughter.

On the way, Jesus is pressed by the large crowds. A woman is in the crowd who had been bleeding for twelve years. She believes that if she could only touch the “corners” or “wings” of Jesus’ garment, she would be healed. This thought refers back to the prophet Malachi, who said, “The Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings.” Jesus feels power go out from him and the woman confesses that she touched him. He tells her that her faith has healed her.

While Jesus is talking, someone shows up and informs Jairus that his daughter just died. Jesus takes his closest friends, Peter, James, and John, with him to Jairus’s house where there is a large crowd wailing. They laugh at Jesus when he says the girl is “only asleep,” and Jesus sends them away. Jesus goes in to see the girl, takes her by the hand, and tells her to get up, and she does. The parents and the disciples are shocked, and Jesus tells them to feed the girl, and to not tell anyone about what had just happened – it must be a secret.

Chapter 6

Jesus is rejected by his hometown, and he then teaches in various villages, and sends his disciples out in twos to go do what he’s been doing.

Mark lets his readers know that King Herod heard about everything Jesus and his disciples were doing. Some people were saying that Jesus was really John the Baptist come back from the dead, but Herod would have none of that nonsense.

Mark then backtracks here and tells his readers the story of how Herod had killed John the Baptist. Herod had married his brother Phillip’s wife, Herodius, and John had told him that was a wicked thing to do, so Herod locked John up in prison, and eventually beheaded him.

Jesus then feeds the five thousand and walks on the water.

Chapter 7

Jesus then tells his disciples that the stuff that goes into your body isn’t actually the stuff that makes you dirty, but rather the stuff that you choose to dump out of your body. 

Jesus and his disciples then travel to the pagan city of Tyre, and Jesus heals the daughter of a Syrophoenician woman from a demon.

Jesus then goes to the Decapolis (ten pagan cities) and heals a deaf and mute man. Jesus keeps telling people to stop spreading the word about him, but they keep doing it anyway.

Chapter 8

Jesus feeds 4,000 Gentiles and then warns his disciples about the “yeast of the Pharisees and Herod.”

Jesus and his disciples arrive at Bethsaida and the people bring him a blind man. Jesus secretly spits on the man’s eyes and asks him what he sees. The man says he says people that look like walking trees. Jesus tries again and this time the man can see everything clearly. Jesus tells him to keep this a secret and to even avoid going back into town.

The blind man can represent the people, who even after having seen the Messiah do not understand what they are looking at… but who will one day understand fully. This is one possible reason why Jesus insists on a temporary Messianic secret. Because the people don’t really know what a messiah is, and with their confused and ecstatic words they have been spreading a false gospel about Jesus.

Jesus and his disciples then begin their journey to Jerusalem.

Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus predicts his death, and then teaches about the Way of the Cross.

Chapter 9

Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a mountain. His appearance changes in front of them and his clothes become bright white. Suddenly Moses and Elijah of long ago appear out of nowhere and begin speaking with Jesus. Peter doesn’t know what to say and he interrupts the conversation and volunteers to build three huts for them.

Mark writes, “Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: ‘This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!’” Luke’s version puts it this way: “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”

This is a direct reference to three different passages from the three different sections of the Hebrew Bible – The Torah, the Nevi’im, and the Khetuvim – showing that Jesus is the focal point all of the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah) …and even the poets.

Through the poets God declares in Psalm 2:7, “You are my son, today I have begotten you.” Through the prophets God declares in Isaiah 42:1a, “Here is my servant, whom I support, my chosen one, in whom I take pleasure.” And through the Law of Moses God declares in Deuteronomy 18:15, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.”

Moses and Elijah are gone and Jesus tells Peter, James, and John not to tell anyone what they saw until after He was raised from the dead. They are confused about what he meant by rising from the dead… proving that they were not yet ready to spread the true Gospel of Jesus.

They also ask about Elijah’s return and Jesus’ opinion on that biblical teaching. Jesus responds with a question, “Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?” He then indicates that Elijah already came back and the teachers of Law did whatever they pleased with him.

They come down the mountain and meet up with the other disciples who are in the middle of an argument with the teachers of the Law over a demon-possessed boy. The crowd is amazed when Jesus arrives, and Jesus just wants to know what the ruckus is all about. The boy’s father explains his son’s condition – how the demon tries to throw the boy into fire or water to kill him.

The disciples were unable to help the boy, so the man asks for Jesus’ help… if Jesus is able to help. Jesus is like, “‘If’? What do you mean ‘if I can help’? Everything is possible for the believer!” The father quickly changes his attitude, declaring, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

A crowd is running over to watch, so Jesus starts chewing out the demon, commanding it to leave and never return. The demon shrieks and violently shakes the boy and then comes out. Later, the disciples wanted to know why they couldn’t drive out the demon, and Jesus tells them that this kind can only come out by prayer and fasting.

Jesus walks his disciples through Galilee and teaches them. He predicts his death and resurrection, but they didn’t understand and were afraid to ask what he meant.

When they arrive at Capernaum, Jesus lets them know that he overheard them arguing about which one of them was the greatest. He sits down and once again turns everything on its head by saying, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” He holds a child and says to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

John tattles to Jesus about some folks he saw driving out demons in Jesus’ name, saying they told them to stop. Jesus is like, “Why did you tell them to stop? We’re on the same team!”

Jesus goes back to the child, saying that it would better to die terribly than to cause a child to stumble. He then goes on to say if their hand or their foot or eye causes them to sin, they should cut it off and get rid of it. Because it’s better to be crippled and live, than to have two feet in hell (or Gehenna).

Some observations about "Gehenna" from this passage:

“All of Jesus’ references to gehenna are made to religious people, and are made in reference to sinful behavior. None of them are spoken to unbelievers or in reference specifically about unbelievers – and for that matter, none are made in reference to one’s lack of belief or orthodoxy.”

“All of the references to gehenna can be reasonably viewed as references to the literal location – a burning garbage dump, where bodies are filled with maggots (worms that, to the ancients, appeared to have come from nowhere and do not die – transforming, instead, into flies) and are consumed in the flames.”

“If we look specifically at the passage from Mark, which is the one most often quoted by those supporting a view of gehenna as a place of eternal, conscious punishment, Jesus refers to it as “where ‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’” This is a direct quote from Isaiah 66, where the prophet describes the view of the fallen Assyrian army (in the Hinnom Valley… or ‘Hell Valley’ in rough English) ‘And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.’ It is a view of dead bodies on a funeral pyre, full of maggots, being burned to ash.”

Jesus then says, “Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

Chapter 10

Jesus then teaches about divorce.

People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. Jesus didn’t like this and said “…anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

Jesus then teaches about the rich and the Kingdom of God, saying there will be both blessings and persecutions for those who give up everything to follow him.

Jesus then predicts his death a third time. James and John try to talk Jesus into giving them seats of power in heaven, but Jesus puts them in their place.

Jesus and his disciples go to Jericho and the crowds follow them. A blind man named Bartimaeus (or “the son of Timaeus”) hears that Jesus of Nazareth has arrived and he begins calling out to him, “Son of David! Have mercy on me!” Jesus stops and has the man brought to him. Jesus asks him what he wants, and he says, “Rabbi, I want to see.” Jesus says, “Go, your faith has healed you.” The man’s sight was restored immediately and he followed Jesus down the road. 

Chapter 11

Jesus comes to Jerusalem and many welcome him as King.

Jesus then curses a fig tree, comparing it to “fruitless” Jerusalem, and he clears the Temple Courts.

The authority of Jesus is questioned by the religious leaders.